‘Quite a lot of concern’ in north of province as COVID-19 cases rise
REGINA The Saskatchewan Health Authority announced another “imminent” outbreak situation in Northern Saskatchewan on Friday, while 19 additional cases of COVID-19 were logged in and around La Loche. In Lloydminster, there are several new cases after a cluster announced this week.
And, there’s an outbreak at Prince Albert’s Victoria Hospital, after a long-term patient was diagnosed with COVID-19.
“There’s quite a lot of concern obviously in the north,” said Dr. Saqib Shahab, Saskatchewan’s chief medical health officer, speaking Friday from the Legislative Building.
Provincewide, of 26 new cases announced Friday: 19 are in La Loche and surrounding area; four are in the north (three in Lloydminster); and, three are in the Saskatoon area.
IN LA LOCHE
“The north, especially La Loche and area, is a concern. Out of 77 total cases, 68 are currently active. That shows that it’s a recent, within the last two weeks, cluster … and that is driving future transmissions. It has to be managed,” said Shahab.
As a result, the SHA announced an enhanced testing approach in La Loche, Clearwater River Dene Nation, Black Point and Garson Lake.
It will see 19 mobile testing teams — each comprised of two clinical staff and one local staff member — going door to door to 750-some households.
The local staff will be able to assist with language barriers, said SHA CEO Scott Livingstone.
“One of the challenges we know exist in smaller communities and certainly in vulnerable communities like La Loche, is will folks have the ability in where they live today, have the ability to properly self-isolate?” said Livingstone.
Going door to door is “a broader approach for assessing not just contacts and testing more people in the community, but it’s also helping folks understand the risk and how they can properly self-isolate.”
He said trailers and the school will serve as self-isolating locations, if needed.
While initial cases in La Loche were due to travel from northern Alberta, the new cases have been transmitted within the community, said Shahab.
IN BEAUVAL
Pre-emptively — in efforts to
“be transparent” — Livingstone announced there is an outbreak in Beauval, about 200 kilometres southeast of La Loche.
He could provide little information during the news conference on Friday afternoon, but said, “We are expecting that (outbreak) to be imminent. This is a fast developing situation which we have just been alerted to and is continuing to evolve.”
IN LLOYDMINSTER
A cluster of cases at the Lloydminster Hospital — involving five staff and eight patients — was made public on Wednesday, although the SHA knew of it on Monday.
“I do think that what we’re really facing is we have a process for outbreak notification that’s built on a traditional model of flu, and COVID is a completely different model and there’s a lot more interest,” said Livingstone.
“I think we’ve unknowingly and not purposely have raised the anxiety in that community and we will do our very, very best in the future for this not to happen again and certainly to rebuild those relationships” with community leaders and citizens.
An additional three cases were announced in Lloydminster on Friday, of four total new cases in the north region.
The north currently has 23 active cases.
IN THE REST OF SASKATCHEWAN
The Re-open Saskatchewan plan is on track, with Phase 1 to begin Monday (everywhere except in La Loche and Lloydminster), as much of the province is seeing almost no new cases.
Of 112 active cases in the province on Friday, six are in Regina, 14 are in Saskatoon, one is in the central region and none are in the rest of southern Saskatchewan.
“The rest of Saskatchewan remains pretty quiet,” said Shahab.
He reiterated it will not be “business and usual” and there are strict criteria around easing restrictions
Physical distancing of two metres between people will continue.
Employees will wear personal protective equipment and businesses will have enhanced cleaning practices.
Even with no cases in your region, said Shahab, “that is critical to keep it that way, because as we have seen from places there are clusters, COVID can come back and spread extremely rapidly.”
The government has updated its Re-open plan, with information posted to its website, to provide further guidelines and clarifications for retailers, golf course operators, greenhouse operators, drive-in or remote worship, and outdoor recreation.